


Promises & Gifts

by Maple_Maypole



Category: Rusty Quill Gaming (Podcast)
Genre: Birthdays, Gifts, Prompt: Celebrations, The al-tahan sisters love each other, a little awkward and very fond, am i talking about my prose or their relationship? read to find out!, listen, thank you for coming to my Ted Talk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:26:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23264677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maple_Maypole/pseuds/Maple_Maypole
Summary: Aziza and Saira enjoy a belated birthday dinner.
Relationships: Aziza al-Tahan & Saira al-Tahan
Comments: 14
Kudos: 12
Collections: RQG Femslash Week 2020





	Promises & Gifts

**Author's Note:**

> March 22: Celebrations.

"Happy birthday!" Aziza's smile is wide, glinting under the restaurant's warm lamplight as she reaches for something under the table without taking her eyes off Saira's. "I'm really sorry I missed the party, but I made _sure_ you got your gift."

Saira grabs the box with tentative hands and opens it. She immediately recognizes the soft shape in her hands.

Saira feels a smile tug at her own lips. She lets out a stunned breath.

"You remembered. I can't believe it."

It has only been a year since they saw the dress, displayed alluringly behind a glass storefront. It feels like much, much longer. She can almost hear her sister's voice, telling her just how pretty she'd look, amidst the white noise of a busy street.

"Of course I did!" Aziza says, an easy lightness in her voice Saira is still not entirely accustomed to, "You know I keep my promises."

Something in the back of Saira's mind snarls at that. Something bitter and unwanted, scoffing at her sister's cheer and showing its teeth against the lighthearted quip. It’s faint, however, and easily drowned out by the feeling soft fabric in her hands.

Saira lets her own smile unfurl and holds her new dress close to her chest.

"It's wonderful, Aziza. Thank you."

Aziza's expression changes, an earnest and remorseful shadow passing over her eyes. She leans forward slightly, careful not to knock over the half-full glass of wine in front of her.

"Really, though. I am very sorry I couldn't be there." She frowns, fidgeting with her napkin. "I- I should have managed my schedule better, made time, but I couldn't really control when the show _was,_ and-"

"Aziza. It's fine." Saira tries not to make a face that would betray just how badly she doesn't want the apology.

But, well, of course her sister would apologize.

She had promised to be there and she had not been, instead leaving her to a frigid and stilted family dinner, with the added absence of two of her brothers somehow managing to make the room feel even colder.

"The twins were there. It was still good."

Aziza shakes her head, deaf to her sister’s attempts at comfort.

"Sure, but I _really_ didn't want to miss this birthday, Saira. I just..." She trails off, frown deepening. She leans back and takes a defeated sip of her drink. After a pause, she lets out a quiet breath. "I just wanted to be there."

"Ziza, really." Saira places a hand on top of her sister's if only to lessen the queasy feeling in her own gut. "It's fine."

Aziza sighs.

"I'm just… I'm really sorry, Saira."

Saira swallows and looks down.

Where before it was stomping and growling and clamoring for her attention, the uncomfortable anger in her chest seems to recoil and ache like an exposed burn when subject to the naked guilt in Aziza's face, to the earnest tilt in her voice.

But it isn't just that making her avert her gaze, no. When Saira looks at her sister, a different sort of breeze blows through her heart. Something bright and unbearably kind and, honestly, just a little embarrassing.

She wishes Aziza had been with her during that birthday, of course she does. A little, envious part of her wishes Aziza was always home. She can't help but miss her singing- playful, soothing, gorgeous. She can't help but miss her gentle hands, her quiet frowns as she hugged them, her tired smiles in the morning and the way her nose would scrunch up when they got into petty arguments, how it would dissolve the moment she noticed Hamid getting genuinely upset.

She can't help but miss her sister.

Now, Aziza's hair is beautifully braided. Her fingers, curling nervously around a strangled napkin, are all adorned with rings. Her comfortable dress is shining under the artificial warmth of the lights.

She looks beautiful.

Saira can't help but feel a childish sort of glad, from the bottom of her heart, to have her there at all.

"I'm sorry too. I'm just... glad you're here now."

Aziza tilts her head and smiles gently, pushes Saira's chin up. They lock eyes and share tiny, lopsided smiles.

"I'm glad I'm here too." She says, squeezing Saira's hand. "And there'll always be more birthdays, right?"

Saira squeezes back. Her free hand still rests on top of the dress, she rubs the fabric under her fingertips. It's soft.

(She wears it to a funeral, once)

Saira nods and breathes in deep. She straightens up, waves her hand as if trying to disperse the heavy air around them.

She doesn't let go of her sister's hand.

"There'll always be more birthdays," Saira says, and Aziza smiles.

**Author's Note:**

> FEMSLASH WEEK IS HERE! HELL YES!!  
> Thank you to all those putting this together, I owe you people my soul and I hope I can contribute as much as possible!!!!!!!  
> For day one, a healthy serving of al-tafam feelings. Does this make sense? I don't know and I won't check! I just know that they love each other very much, and I love them.  
> As usual, comments of any type or length are my lifeblood. Thank you for reading!


End file.
